McAllister: Reds have to trust themselves
Gary McAllister has called on Jürgen Klopp's players to trust in themselves as they aim to overcome the poor form that has blighted their start to 2017.
Liverpool have picked up just one win in 10 outings since the turn of the year, a sequence of results that has seen them edged out of the Premier League top four and their hopes of FA Cup and EFL Cup glory ended.
Next up for the Reds is a meeting with high-flying Tottenham Hotspur, whose last defeat in all competitions came at the hands of Manchester United in December.
But, while former midfielder McAllister expects a tough game, he believes the Anfield fixture is the perfect opportunity for Klopp's team to show their mental fortitude.
He told Liverpoolfc.com: "You've got to trust yourself. As a player, if you make a mistake and there's a little murmur from the crowd, it's having that ability and mental strength to go on and get on the ball.
"And if the pass presents itself again, you go for it. The easy thing to do is to play safe and not take any risks, and that's not the style of teams here at Anfield.
"Trust in yourself, get the fans back onside, and it's amazing what a couple of results can do.
"All of a sudden you can go from being in a bad run [to a good run] and, if we can go on a good run, you know what momentum is like at this club. Once we gather a little bit, anything can happen."
McAllister also recalled the sage advice of one youth coach which helped him during the rare fallow patches of a trophy-laden career.
"One of the things that resonates in my mind in bad runs is going back to an old coach I worked with way back when I was a youngster," he added.
"Generally, in these little periods, he used to say, 'Lose yourself in hard work'.
"And I think that's something that always stayed in my mind, that was a phrase that I used. Just getting back to basics and working hard for the team always helps."
Liverpool have not suffered defeat to Spurs at Anfield since 2011, and boast an unbeaten record against the other members of the league's top six so far this season.
As such, the least McAllister expects on Saturday is a response to the disappointing reverse at the hands of Hull City last weekend.
"We'll definitely get a reaction. Our record against the top five/six is good, that's a fact, the stats back that up," he continued.
"Tottenham are a team in fine form, they've got matchwinners, they've got some fantastic players, but we've got a great record against Spurs at Anfield and I want to see it continue.
"It'll be toe to toe, the games against the big clubs there's no inches spared. It's going to be a battle."